Assistant Secretary for Health

Template:Infobox political post

The assistant secretary for health (ASH) is a senior U.S. government official within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The position is a statutory office (42 U.S.C. § 202) and the holder of the office serves as the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services's primary advisor on matters involving the nation's public health. The assistant secretary oversees all matters pertaining to the United States Public Health Service (PHS), the main division of the Department of Health and Human Services, for the secretary and provides strategic and policy direction. The Public Health Service comprises almost all of the agency divisions of the Department of Health and Human Services including the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, one of the eight federal uniformed services, comprising more than 6,500 uniformed health professionals who serve with the Department of Health and Human Services, or are assigned to work within other federal agencies, including the United States Armed Forces.

The assistant secretary is a civilian or a uniformed officer of the commissioned corps and is nominated for appointment by the president. The nominee must also be confirmed via majority by the Senate. The assistant secretary serves at the pleasure of the president. Appointees who are a serving uniformed officer of the commissioned corps, by statute, are appointed as a four-star admiral and is the highest ranking officer in the commissioned corps,^[1]^[2] as no other position in the Public Health Service is designated as a four-star office. The president may also nominate a civilian appointee to also be appointed a direct commission in the commissioned corps if the nominee so chooses.^[2]^[3] The assistant secretary's office and its staff make up the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH). The current assistant secretary for health is Admiral Rachel Levine.

History

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health and Scientific Affairs was established on January 1, 1967, following Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1966. The plan allowed the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to restructure the Public Health Service to better serve public health.^[4] The office was renamed the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health following the Department of Education Organization Act in 1972.^[4]

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health

Main article: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health

As of 2018, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health oversees 12 core public health offices, 10 regional health offices, and 10 presidential and secretarial advisory committees.^[5] Prior to 2010, the office was known as the Office of Public Health and Science.^[6]

File:US PHS O10 insignia.svg

The stars, shoulder boards, and sleeve stripes of the Assistant Secretary for Health if serving in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

List of assistant secretaries for health

No.	Assistant secretary		Term			Pay schedule or Service branch
No.	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Term length	Pay schedule or Service branch
1	Philip R. Lee	Philip R. Lee	November 2, 1965	1969	3 years	File:Flag of the United States Senior Executive Service.svg Executive Schedule IV
2	Roger O. Egeberg	Roger O. Egeberg	July 14, 1969	1971	2 years	File:Flag of the United States Senior Executive Service.svg Executive Schedule IV
3	Merlin K. DuVal	Merlin K. DuVal	July 1, 1971	January 20, 1973	1 year, 203 days	File:Flag of the United States Senior Executive Service.svg Executive Schedule IV
4	Charles C. Edwards	Charles C. Edwards	April 18, 1973	January 5, 1975	1 year, 262 days	File:Flag of the United States Senior Executive Service.svg Executive Schedule IV
5	Theodore Cooper	Theodore Cooper	July 1, 1975	1977	2 years	File:Flag of the United States Senior Executive Service.svg Executive Schedule IV
6	Julius B. Richmond	Vice Admiral Julius B. Richmond	July 13, 1977	May 14, 1981	3 years, 305 days	File:Seal of the USPHS Commissioned Corps.png U.S. Public Health Service
7	Edward Brandt Jr.	Edward Brandt Jr.	1981	1984	3 years	File:Flag of the United States Senior Executive Service.svg Executive Schedule IV
8	Robert E. Windom	Robert E. Windom	1986	1989	3 years	File:Flag of the United States Senior Executive Service.svg Executive Schedule IV
9	James O. Mason	Admiral James O. Mason	1989	1993	4 years	File:Seal of the USPHS Commissioned Corps.png U.S. Public Health Service
10	Philip R. Lee	Philip R. Lee	July 2, 1993	1998	5 years	File:Flag of the United States Senior Executive Service.svg Executive Schedule IV
11	David Satcher	Admiral David Satcher	February 13, 1998	January 20, 2001	2 years, 342 days	File:Seal of the USPHS Commissioned Corps.png U.S. Public Health Service
-	Arthur J. Lawrence[7]	Rear Admiral Arthur J. Lawrence^[7] Acting	January 20, 2001	February 8, 2002	1 year, 19 days	File:Seal of the USPHS Commissioned Corps.png U.S. Public Health Service
12	Eve Slater	Eve Slater	February 8, 2002	February 5, 2003	362 days	File:Flag of the United States Senior Executive Service.svg Executive Schedule IV
-	Cristina V. Beato	Rear Admiral Cristina V. Beato Acting	February 5, 2003	January 4, 2006	2 years, 333 days	File:Seal of the USPHS Commissioned Corps.png U.S. Public Health Service
13	John O. Agwunobi	Admiral John O. Agwunobi	January 4, 2006	September 4, 2007	1 year, 243 days	File:Seal of the USPHS Commissioned Corps.png U.S. Public Health Service
-	Don J. Wright	Don J. Wright Acting	September 4, 2007	March 28, 2008	206 days	File:Flag of the United States Senior Executive Service.svg Executive Schedule IV
14	Joxel García	Admiral Joxel García	March 28, 2008	January 20, 2009	298 days	File:Seal of the USPHS Commissioned Corps.png U.S. Public Health Service
-	Steven K. Galson	Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson Acting	January 22, 2009	June 22, 2009	151 days	File:Seal of the USPHS Commissioned Corps.png U.S. Public Health Service
15	Howard K. Koh	Howard K. Koh	June 22, 2009	August 1, 2014	5 years, 40 days	File:Flag of the United States Senior Executive Service.svg Executive Schedule IV
-	Karen B. DeSalvo[8]	Karen B. DeSalvo^[8] Acting	October 2014	January 3, 2017	More than 2 years	File:Flag of the United States Senior Executive Service.svg Executive Schedule IV
-	Don J. Wright	Don J. Wright Acting	January 4, 2017	February 15, 2018	1 year, 42 days	File:Flag of the United States Senior Executive Service.svg Executive Schedule IV
16	Brett P. Giroir	Admiral Brett P. Giroir	February 15, 2018	January 19, 2021	2 years, 339 days	File:Seal of the USPHS Commissioned Corps.png U.S. Public Health Service
-	Felicia L. Collins	Rear Admiral Felicia L. Collins Acting	January 21, 2021	March 26, 2021	64 days	File:Seal of the USPHS Commissioned Corps.png U.S. Public Health Service
17	Rachel L. Levine[9]	Admiral Rachel L. Levine^[9]	March 26, 2021	Incumbent	4 years, 36 days	File:Seal of the USPHS Commissioned Corps.png U.S. Public Health Service

References

↑ "PHSCC Uniforms". http://www.usphs.gov/AboutUs/uniforms.aspx.
↑ ^{Jump up to: 2.0} ^2.1 "42 USC 207. Grades, ranks, and titles of commissioned corps". https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/207.
↑ "Regular Corps Assimilation Program". http://dcp.psc.gov/eccis/documents/CCPM23_3_7.pdf.
↑ ^{Jump up to: 4.0} ^4.1 [1] Records of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health [OASH].
↑ "Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH)" (in en). 2016-03-30. https://www.hhs.gov/ash/index.html.
↑ "Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH)". 2010-09-22. http://www.hhs.gov:80/ophs.
↑ "Rear Admiral Arthur J. Lawrence". 24 April 2020. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/rear-admiral-arthur-j-lawrence/.
↑ Received a recess appointment extension on January 1, 2016, under 5 U.S.C. § 3346(b)(2), to continue serving as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Health until the end of fiscal year 2016.
↑ Received her commission and four-star rank on October 19, 2021.

External links

Template:United States Assistant Secretary for Health

[1] "PHSCC Uniforms". http://www.usphs.gov/AboutUs/uniforms.aspx.

[42_USC_207-2] {Jump up to: 2.0} ^2.1 "42 USC 207. Grades, ranks, and titles of commissioned corps". https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/207.

[3] "Regular Corps Assimilation Program". http://dcp.psc.gov/eccis/documents/CCPM23_3_7.pdf.

[OASH-4] {Jump up to: 4.0} ^4.1 [1] Records of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health [OASH].

[5] "Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH)" (in en). 2016-03-30. https://www.hhs.gov/ash/index.html.

[6] "Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH)". 2010-09-22. http://www.hhs.gov:80/ophs.

[7] "Rear Admiral Arthur J. Lawrence". 24 April 2020. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/rear-admiral-arthur-j-lawrence/.

[8] Received a recess appointment extension on January 1, 2016, under 5 U.S.C. § 3346(b)(2), to continue serving as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Health until the end of fiscal year 2016.

[9] Received her commission and four-star rank on October 19, 2021.

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